With regular career opportunities at home and abroad, nursing courses have enduring appeal with international students, as Matthew Knott discovers.

Nursing courses, meeting a constant skills shortage and carrying high social value, are an ever-popular vocational field, with an array of programmes and pathways available.

At Curtin University, Philippa Wharton enthuses, “The School of Nursing and Midwifery is committed to the education of graduates who will be leaders in the profession. Our courses of study are focussed on the development of highly skilled professionals who are empathetic, caring and respectful of diverse values and beliefs.” The first school of nursing in a Western Australian university “has continued to set the pace for nursing education in our region”, she says, and students benefit from high-tech stimulation and clinical skills laboratories.

Wharton outlines the array of options: Bachelor of Science (Nursing), in four streams with a variety of clinical placements; Bachelor of Science Nursing RN Conversion, building on professional knowledge; Master of Nursing Practice, emphasising close integration of evidence-based theory and clinical practice; Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing, focussing on clinical leadership approaches; and Master of Nursing, for advanced clinical practice.

Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, is “an outward-looking and culturally inclusive university that meets exacting national and international standards in both teaching and research,” says Paul Saeki. “The Bachelor of Nursing comprises topics in nursing (including clinical practice), ethics, law, and the biophysical and psychological sciences. The course aims to prepare nurses who are reflective about practice and have well-developed clinical reasoning skills.” A postgraduate programme is also offered, allowing students to proceed to master’s or doctoral studies. A stand-out feature for overseas students is, Saeki says, an academic linguist specialising in ESL support, including the development of online games to enhance English skills in nursing.

In the postgraduate field, the School of Population Health at the University of Western Australia (UWA) has, attests Rosemary Suanders, “adopted a flexible teaching and learning approach with smaller teaching groups, interactive teaching methods and highly qualified staff at the top of their field”. Saunders explains the Master of Nursing Science is designed for any university graduates who wish to change careers to become a registered nurse. “With close teaching partnerships between the school, two major hospitals and a major care group, students are able to develop a sense of ‘belonging’ and ward staff are able to get to know the students,” she says, adding the two-year degree includes at least 890 hours of clinical practice plus numerous placements.

UWA’s Master of Nursing Research provides nursing degree-holding students “with the knowledge and skills to conduct research in their field and to contribute to the body of evidence on which nursing science is based”, with “strong grounding in the disciplines of biostatistics and epidemiology, as applied to clinical research”, says Saunders.

Anglia Ruskin University, UK, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in International Nursing Studies, with options to include the 30-credit Overseas Nursing Programme (ONP), informs Alejandra Vicencio. “This means that eligible students can now gain an undergraduate or master’s degree in International Nursing Studies and obtain registration with the National Midwifery Council in the UK.” Alejandra lauds “state-of-the-art clinical skills facilities that have been built in collaboration with the UK National Health Service”. The labs specifically mirror working environments in UK hospitals. Students also have chances to visit centres of excellence units such as cardiac care, burns and palliative care.

Omni College specialises in preparing foreign-trained nurses to become job-ready for the Canadian workforce, says President, Jade Burke. Courses bridge gaps including cultural awareness, hands-on practice and critical thinking skills. “One of the most sought after components of our programmes are the Workplace Preparation and Nurse Licensing exam preparation modules which maximise a student’s chance in passing their Canadian regulatory examinations.” Burke attests, “In 2011, 84 per cent of our students who wrote the nurse licensing exam successfully passed, and 100 per cent of our graduates found jobs within one month.”

Omni graduates are eligible for the Postgraduate Open Work Permit, advises Burke. “Most of our students find work in Canada with the intent of applying for permanent residency,” she says, adding that many students take their experience home, “where they are able to obtain tremendous career advancement”. Flinders graduates are eligible to apply for registration in Australia and overseas, and Saeki explains many students stay, although he notes a growing trend of students working in Australia for a few years and then returning home.

Markets and recruitment

Anglia Ruskin University, UK, has attracted applications from 22 different countries for its September 2012 nursing courses, notably from Africa and Asia, advises Alejandra Vicencio. Meanwhile, Paul Saeki at Australia’s Flinders University, which uses several recruitment agents, lists China, South Korea, Japan, India and Malaysia as strong recruitment regions. International students have constituted as much as 28 per cent of the nursing intake at the University of Western Australia, says Rosemary Saunders.

At Omni College in Canada, the largest group of international students come from India, advises Jade Burke, with Asia, Eastern Europe and Brazil also cited. “Agents play a large role in our international recruiting strategy, especially when it comes to opening up new markets. We are always open to signing good agents from new, as well as existing established markets,” she says. Philippa Wharton at Curtin University, Australia, reports Asia as its key recruitment ground. “We are increasing articulation agreements and diversifying our marketing activities to new countries. Agents are welcome to contact Curtin International.”

Contact any advertiser in the this issue now

The following language schools, associations and accommodation providers advertised in the latest edition of Study Travel Magazine. If you would like more information on any of these advertisers, tick the relevant boxes, fill out your details and send.

CANADA
Bow Valley College
Connect School of Languages
East Coast School of Languages (ECSL)
English School of Canada
Global Village
Hansa Language Centre of Toronto
Humber College
ILSC - International Language Schools of Canada
ILSC Australia
ITTTI Vancouver
Omnicom School of Languages
Languages Canada / Langues Canada
Niagara College
Ottawa International Student Programmes (OISP)
Study Abroad Canada
Vancouver English Centre
Guard. Me
Ingle International

CHILE
Latin Immersion

CHINA
iMandarin Language Training Institute
Mandarin House

ENGLAND
AngloLinguist
Barnsley College
Bell International
Cambridge Education Group
Camp Beaumont
d'Overbroeck's College
Study Group
International House Bristol
International House London
International House World Organisation
INTO University Partnerships
Kaplan International Colleges
Prime Education
LAL London
Lila*
London School of Business & Finance
London School of Business & Finance
Malvern House College London
Mayfair School of English
PGL
Queen Ethelburga's College
St Giles International
Sussex Coast College Hastings
English in Chester
Twin Group
University of Essex - International Academy
Westminster Kingsway College
Wimbledon School of English

EVENTS
British Boarding Schools Workshop
IALC International
IEFT- International Education Fairs of Turkey

EXAM BOARDS
Cambridge Esol
City and Guilds Branch Office in Europe
IELTS
Trinity College London

SOUTH AFRICA
Good Hope Studies
EC Cape Town
EF
inlingua Language Training Centre Cape Town
Eurocentres Cape Town
English Language School Cape Town
Interlink School of Languages
Jeffrey's Bay Language School
LAL Cape Town
Kurus English CC
International House Cape Town

USA
Besant Hill School
California State University San Marcos
ELS Language Centers
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Glenholme School
Liberty University
New York Military Academy
Rennert
Saint John's University
University of Arizona
University of California San Diego
Zoni Language Centers